Axial flow fan with variable direction of oscillating range



' Aug. 18, 1959 R. E. SMITH AXIAL FLow FAN WITH VARIABLE DIRECTION OF OSC/ILLATING RANGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORNEY R. BIL-SMITH AXIAL. FLOW FAN WITH VARiABLE DIRECTION OF OSCILLATING RANGE Aug. 18, 1959 v 3 Sheets-Sheei 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1959 AXIAL FLOW FAN WITH VARIABLE DIRECTION OF OSCILLATING Filed Feb. 10. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORN EY United States Patent dice 2,900,127 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 AXIAL FLOW FAN WITH VARIABLE DIRECTION OF OSCILLATING RANGE Raymond E. Smith, Harnden, Conn., assignor to The A. C. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Maryland Application February 10, 1955, Serial No. 487,357 15 Claims. (Cl. 230-256) This invention relates to improved features of construction and operation in an oscillating axial-flow fan constructed mainly as disclosed and claimed in a pending application of Raymond E. Smith, Serial No. 366,914 now United States Patent No. 2,813,673, and in a pending application of Alfred J. Schneider, Serial No. 420,565 now United States Patent No. 2,838,956.

In the former of said applications the axis of rotation of the fan impeller and therefore the beam of air generated by the fan is caused to oscillate or sweep automatically from one side to another of a median direction line of air flow. Also such fan axis can be tilted to various mantained angular positions relative to its support base so that the stream of air generated by the fan can be made to sweep in various selectively inclined planes. In the latter of said pending applications the angular extent of the oscillating sweep of air in any of such planes can be varied at will.

An object of the present improvements is to enable a fan having the above performance characteristics to be adjustable in still further respects so as to perform its automatic oscillation or range of sweeping movement on both sides of a median direction of air flow which direction, itself, can selectively be oriented to different placements along the full possible arc of oscillating movement. In other words the range of automatic oscillation, whatever its variable angular extent, can be placed at one side or the other of a fixed direction in which the base of the fan may be regarded as facing.

A further object of the invention is to attain the aforesaid object with the smallest possible amount of modification and complication of fan structures which are disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid pending applications.

A further object is to enable the median direction line of oscillation of the sweeping stream of air to be selectively oriented as above stated in all tilted or inclined positions of the fan impeller axis.

A particular object is to provide an easily accessible control handle for manually orienting the median direction line of oscillation of the stream of air, so located and arranged as to be manually accessible for shifting it while the fan is in operation or oscillating.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become clear in greater particular from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the improvements having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an oscillating fan embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken partially in section on the plane 22 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2a is a fragmentary view of the friction clutch taken in section on the plane 2a.2a in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the fan drawn on an enlarged scale looking from the right at Fig. 1 showing portions of the air conduit cowl and motor casing broken away to reveal interior mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view drawn on an enlarged scale taken in section on the plane 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view drawn on a still 2 further enlarged scale taken in section on the plane 55 in Fig. 3.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic plan views of the fan showing the median direction line of its range of oscillating movement variously oriented. V

The portable pedestal of the fan includes a hollow base 12 incorporating a concave top wall 1-4 against the under surface of which is fixed, as by welding, the middle portion of a half circle of curved tubing 16 whose upstanding spaced apart free portions form supporting frame arms 18. 24 is the operating handle of a snap switch contained within the hollow of base 12 and accessible at the front of the base for controlling current supplied to the fan motor 54 through a flexible attachment cord 26.

Fan motor 54 and its air impeller 55 have the common axis of rotation X. A surrounding funnel shell'structure or cowl 28 concentrictherewith comprises in combination with the motor and its air impeller a unitary air stream generating unit which is pivotally mounted, not directly on the stationary frame arms 18, but on a carrier or frame ring '20 in a manner to oscillate with respect to such ring about an axis of oscillation Y that is diametrical of the ring. In Figs. 1 and 3 the axis Y is disposed vertically, but by tilting the carrier ring 20 can be inclined to and maintained in any angular position between the vertical and the horizontal as illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,660,368. 'Automatic swinging movement of the fan impeller and motor axis X about the axis of oscillation Y can occur between variable limits, for example the positions indicated as X and X by broken lines in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. But in each of these drawing figures it will be noted that the median direction X of the range of oscillating sweep of the air stream is oriented to a different direction by means of the present improvements in a manner hereinafter to be explained.

As described and claimed in a pending patent application of F. W. Schmidt, Serial No. 195,210, now United States Patent No. 2,709,035, the shell structure 28 of the air streaming unit is composite and forms a cowl consisting for lightness and manufacturing convenience of two drawn sheet-metal parts. The circumferentially inner part, or air conduit shell 46, in conjunction with the shape of the hub of impeller '55 forms an axially short, annular Venturi passageway for the air traveling through the fan in the direction of arrow F in Fig. 3. The radial width of this annular passageway tapers to a minimum girth at about the tip of the blades of the impeller. The circumferentially outer part of the cowl is a casing shell 44. Casing shell 44 overlaps conduit shell 46 at the outer circular margins of the two shells in a manner to bind the shells firmly together. The front of the air discharge opening of the cowl 28 is spanned by a removable grid 48.

Fan motor 54 has a torpedo-shaped body that is coaxial with conduit shell 46 and derives its sole support from the cowl 28 through the medium of four stiff flat radiating spider fins '56, each of triangular shape. This places a substantial portion of the length of the motor body in outboard or rearwardly offset relation to funnel shell 28. Pins 56 are spaced at equal angles about the motor body and are fixed to the case 59 of the latter by lugs 58 welded thereto. The strengthening assistance of three hoops 70, 72, 74 of round wire is employed. These hoops are nested in notches in the edges of the spider fins. Fins 56 are removably fastened to conduit shell 46 by holding screws '66 which thread thereinto at 68 and are surrounded by vibration deadening washers 64 of distortable resilient material. The foregoing described structure by means of which motor 54 is supported solely from cowl 28 is described in fuller detail and claimed in US. Patent No. 2,672,280.

Opposite sides of the ear-tier ring 20 are equipped respectively with two diametrically aligned trunnions 30 which are held in mating face-to-face' contact with hinge posts 32 on the frame arms 18, respectively by pivot screws 4-2. The engaging faces ofeach pair of nions and po s-ts are of a nature tohold the carrier ring tilted at whatever angle desired when screw 42 is suffi- .ciently tightened, as is described in fuller detail and claimed inU.S. Patent No. 2,660,368. 'Z is the axis'of tilt n In order to oscillate about the axis Y relatively to carrier ring 20, cowl 28 together with its carried motor body 54 and air impeller 55 are pivotally supported on .and concentrically within carrier ring 20 by means of top and bottom antifrictional bearings respectively'designated 92 and 9 3 as a whole. The'top bearing 92, is of ball bearing construction as fully disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid pending application, Serial No. 366,914. The construction of the lower pivotal mounting for the cowl and fan motor unit on ,canier ring 20 is shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 2 herein.

This bottom pivotal bearing 93, according to the present improvements, includes a ball bearing unit 94 adapted for axial thrust duty and surrounding a rigid pivot post 106 whose bottom end portion has parallel flats 100 that .fit a flat-sidedhole in the shift handle 101. Flats 100 also fit a flat-sided hole in a thrust washer 102. Between handle 101 and washer 102 pivot post 106 extends through and is journaled in a bearing hole 97 in the horizontal wall of a mounting saddle 107 which is separated from the plate and from the washer by post retaining friction washers'103 of fiber or other suitable material. These friction washers are pressed against the top and bottom surfaces of the mounting saddle 107 respectively so as to clutch the same .by means of the resilient thrust of a split spring washer 104 retained bya nut 112 that threads onto the bottomextremity of pivot post 106. Nut 112 is fastened against .accidental loosening by the turned-over ears 115 of a lock washer 116. The pivot post is thus supported firmly and held stationary .in selective rotary upstanding positions .when nut 112 clamps all of the before mentioned parts against shoulders :formed .on the pivot post by the top limits of flats 100. The rotary position of post 106 is permitted to be shifted by frictionally opposed slippage between the post retaining clutch parts above described. Adjustive swinging of post .106 is limited in both rotary directions by a stop lug 108 on saddle 107 engageable by stop shoulders 105 and 111 on shift handle 101.

At the bottom point in casing shell 44 there is formed an inwardly-cupped boss lined fixedly with a bearing bushing 117 that has a free turning fit on pivot post 106 and that rests the entire weight thrust of the cowl and fan motor assembly on the balls of bearing unit 94. Thus ,there is provided antifrictional support for the air stream generating unit on and within the carrier ring 20.

As in the aforesaid patent application, Serial No. 366,914, the mounting saddle 107 is welded or otherwise .made fast to and bridges a gap between spaced ends of the carrier ring 20. These ring ends are further held in firmly fixed relation by an inverted saddle piece 109 having cross ribs that seat in transverse notches cut in the tubular walls of carrier ring 20. Screws 110 extend through saddle 107 and thread into saddle piece 109 to :clamp the saddle piecesrigidly but removably to the ring.

Pivot post 106 extends upward with free clearance :through an aperture 113 in the interior conduit shell 46 as .is shown in Fig. 3. It is held steadily upright while permitted to be rotatably adjustable about its own axis .by a looped bracket piece 98 fixedly fastened to one of the spider fins 56 by bolts 99. The loop in bracket 98 affords a free bearing fit for post'106 to swivel therein. Post 106 isprovided with a jog 114abovebearing bracket '98 that offsets its topend 11-8 laterally from axial alignment with its bottom mounted end. This offset-top end ,4 f of the pivot post serves as pivotal anchorage for a moving part of the fan oscillating mechanism which can now be described.

The fan oscillating mechanism includes a pitrnan link 7 that swings in a horizontal path about the reduced top anchorage end 118 of pivot post 106 and is retained thereon by a thrust washer 121. The opposite end of link 120 pivotally engages at 119 a crank arm 122 that is rotatably fixed on thefexposed bottom end of a depending vertical driven shaft 123 that is journaled in a bearing 125 of the transmission case 124. This case and its contained speed reduction gears are carried by the stator of the motor within the rear end of the motor housing 59.

The axial pressure of a spring 127 causes a yieldable rotary friction drive of shaft 123 by worm gear 126. Worm gear 126 is in .mesh'with a transmission worm 128 which rotates in unison with a transmission worm gear 129 upon a counter shaft 130 that is removably fastened in the transmission case. Transmission worm gear 129 is .driven by a worm thread 132 but on the rear end portion of motor shaft 78. The friction clutch mechanism by which shaft 123 isfdriven by .worm gear 126 maybe constructed as in US. Patent No. 2,341,220 or may be more simply constructed as shown in Fig. 2a herein, wherein a lower clutch member 133 is fast to driven shaft 123 and has tbeveled slip [teeth 134 on its top surface .engageable with registering notches in the bottom surface of spiral gear 126 that is loosely rotatable and lidable axially on and relatively to (shaft 123 except for the axial pressure of springcoil 127 constantly exerted between worm gear 126 and a thrust washer 135 lodged on the .top end of shaft 23. Axial compression of spring 127 will be caused by thetendency of the slip teeth 134 on clutch member 133 to em out of their mating notches in spiral gear 126 by lifting .the latter against the pressure of spring 127 whereby clutch member 133 escapes from said notches and permits slippage of the clutch so that spiral wheel 126 can rotate idly without compelling crank arm 122 to rotate should the oscillating movement of the fan accidentally meet with external resistance. When such resistance ceases the clutch will be caused automatically to reengage because spiral gear 126 continues to rotate while the clutch member 133 remains at rest until the notch in the spiral gear next drops into driving engagement with theiclutch tooth 134. l

The ability of a fan embodying the present improvements to oscillate about an axis Y in directions that are tiltable about the axis 2 and through selective arcs of swinging movement having their median direction of air ,flow selectively aimable in various directions in the full possible oscillating sweep of the air stream is evident in the diagrammatic plan views in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

In Fig. 6 the median direction of the range of swinging movement through which the air stream sweeps as the fan oscillates is denoted X, and the fan motor and impeller oscillate an equal angular extent toward each side from such median direction line X as is denoted by the direction lines X and X This results from the direction shifting lever 101 in Fig. 6 beingrset with .its stop shoulders 105 and 111 at equal distance from the stationary stop boss 108 on carrier ring 20. Direction X in Fig. 6 may be perpendicular to the plane Z of the carrier ring 20.

In Fig. 7 shift lever 101 has been swung clockwise to a set position wherein its stop shoulder 111 abuts the stationary stop boss 108 and the fan will oscillate to project its stream of air through a range of swinging movement between limit directions X and X whose median direction X is angularly displaced clockwise from the placement of the median direction X in Fig. 6. V In Fig. 8 shift lever 101 is swung counterclockwise to a set position in which its stop shoulder 101 abuts the stationary stop boss 108 causing the median direction X of air projection to lie midway the still differently placed limit directions X andX in Fig. 8.

In each of Figs. 6, 7 and -8 the angular extent of the are of fan oscillation between the directions X and X is variable by adjusting the throw of the crank 122 to selective settings. This is done by grasping the knurled outermost periphery 122 of the crank handle and shifting it rotatively in relation to the crank body 122 which alters the effective length of the crank arm or radial distance of offset of the pivotal coupling 119 for pitman link from the axis of shaft 123 as disclosed and claimed No. 420,565. There, also, it further is shown that the crank parts can be so adjusted that pivot 119 can be set coaxially with shaft 123, whereupon the fan impeller will operate to blow air without causing oscillation of the fan.

Thus there is present in an oscillating fan embodying the present improvements a universal ability to beam its stream of air in all directions. The range of such directions can safely be varied and determined selectively while the fan is running and oscillating and in respect to (1) the angle of slant in relation to the horizontal, by tilting the air generating unit about the axis Z; (2) the extent of I the arc of oscillation, by turning crank part 122 relatively to crank body 122; and (3) the directional placement of any selected range of oscillation within the full arc of possible oscillation thereof, by swinging the shift lever 101 to selective settings.

The following claims are directed to and intended to cover all possible variations of shapes and arrangements of the parts that fall within the broadest interpretation of the terms by which the invention is defined in the wording of the claims:

I claim:

1. An axial flow oscillating fan in which the median line of the angular range of fan oscillation can be oriented in selective directions, embodying in combination, a frame ring, spaced apart pivotal bearings carried by said frame ring aligned with an axis of fan oscillation that spans said ring, an air stream generating unit including a motor driven fan shaft, a cowl surrounding and fixedly supporting said unit located between and pivotally supported by said bearings thereby to swing about said axis of oscillation, a crank carried by said unit rotated by said motor, an anchorage member, a pitman link pivotally coupling said crank to said anchorage member whereby rotation of said crank causes said unit and cowl to oscillate in unison about said axis, a support for said anchorage member mounted on said frame ring for shifting movement relative thereto in directions to set said anchorage member in various dispositions laterally of said axis of oscillation, thereby to orient the median line of the angular range of fan oscillation to different directions, clutch means operative to oppose said shifting movement, and a handle projecting accessibly from said support by which to effect said shifting movement.

2. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 1, together with a frictional slip clutch operatively interposed between the said motor and the said crank, whereby external opposition to a changed orientation of fan oscillation will enable said fan to-cease operating while said motor continues to run.

3. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 1, in which one of the said pivotal bearings includes a bearing hole through a wall of thesaid frame ring, said wall. having flat surfaces at respectively opposite ends of saidhole, a thrust shoulder on the said support facing one side of said wall, means to hold said thrust shoulder drawn toward said wall, and an axial ball bearing betweensaid side of said wall and'said cowl adapted to transmit antifrictional thrust therebetween. i

4. An axial flow oscillating fan as definedin claim 1, in which the said crank has a variable length of crank arm operative to vary the angular extent of the angular. range of fan oscillation when the said median line there of is oriented in any of the said difierent directions.

5. An axialflow oscillating fan as defined in claim 4, in which the said crank comprises at least two connected parts rotatably adjustable to difierent relative settings, and

connections whereby said different settings of said rotary parts subjects the said pitman link to difierent distances of reciprocating throw responsive ,to undirectional rotation of the crank, thereby to vary the angular extent of oscillating movement of the fan.

6. An axial flow oscillating fan comprising, a frame ring, an annular cowl pivotally mounted withinJaid frame ring in a manner to oscillate relatively thereto through an angular range of swinging movement about an axis spanning said ring, an air stream generating unit including an electric fan motor having a field structure supported by said cowl in fixed relation thereto and an air impeller rotatable by said motor, a post extending along said axis of oscillation pivotally mounted on said frame ring in a mannerto swivel to different rotative settings relative thereto, said post carrying an anchorage terminal laterally offset from said axis, a crank carried on and rotated by said motor, and a pitman link operatively coupling said crank to said anchorage terminal, whereby adjustive swiveling of said post relatively to said frame ring varies the position of said anchorage terminal in a manner to orient the median line of said angular range of swinging movement to different directions.

7. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 6, in which the said crank has a variable length of crank arm operative to vary the said angular extent of the range of swinging movement when the said median line of said angular extent is oriented in any of the said different directions.

8. An axial fiow oscillating fan as defined in claim 6, in which the said cowl has a bearing hole through which the said post extends and in which the said post has rotary bearing.

9. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 8, together with an auxiliary bearing for steadying the said post rigid with and located between the said cowl and motor field structure and at least in part encompassing said post in a manner permitting the latter to swivel therein.

10. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 6, together with retaining means including a part movable with the said post and a part stationed on the said frame ring mutually engaged in a manner to oppose swiveling movement of said post relative to said frame ring.

11. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 10, together with a shifter handle outside of the said cowl connected to the said post in a manner to swivel the latter to different settings relative to the said frame ring.

12. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 10, together with a shifter handle between the said cowl and the said frame ring connected to the said post in a manner to swivel the latter to different settings relative to the said frame ring.

13. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 12, together with an axial ball-bearing encompassing the said post between the said shifter handle and the said cowl.

14. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 6, in which the said post and the said cowl swivel about the same axis. I

, 15. An axial flow oscillating fan as defined in claim 14, in which the said post extends through the said cowl.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 479,425 

